


Sick Days

by SelSpeaks, SNES_Trumpets



Category: Lupin III
Genre: Angst, Happy Ending, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Illness, Injury, Jigen is sick, Jigen's left in the dark, Sickfic, Tenderness, Whumps, Zenigata is worried, near-death, people be takin care of jigen what can i say, some shooting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:48:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24920077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelSpeaks/pseuds/SelSpeaks, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SNES_Trumpets/pseuds/SNES_Trumpets
Summary: Jigen is sick and his friends take care of him.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 76





	1. 1

Jigen opened his eyes, his vision blurry. He was barely able to make out Goemon and Lupin standing above him, voices muffled. Lupin was gesturing as though he were shouting. Goemon stood with his arms crossed over his chest, far more dignified than Lupin. 

“...hospital…” said Lupin’s voice, barely audible to Jigen’s ears. 

“Wh-what?” Jigen tried to ask. His eyelids drifted shut, the world beginning to fade to black. He tried to force himself to keep them open, but they were too heavy.

“...arrested…” Goemon’s voice emerged through the fog of semi-consciousness. “...necessary…”

Jigen tried to reach out to grab the bottom of Lupin’s jacket and get his attention, but it seemed as though he were moving his entire body through a thick wall of gelatin, too viscous to push through. He gave up, his world fading to nothing.

* * *

When Jigen opened his eyes again, he heard footsteps and felt strong arms cradling him. A blanket was wrapped around him, a wet cloth balanced on his forehead. He whimpered. Lupin’s face gazed down at him, a mixture of pity and worry in his eyes. 

"Jigen, are you oka-"

Darkness.

* * *

He awoke again to find himself handcuffed to a hospital bed, doctors peering down at him. Zenigata stood behind them, looking pale, tears in his eyes. Jigen groaned and tried to push the doctor’s gloved hands away from him. The continuous beeping hurting his ears. 

“Turn that shit off,” he snapped, his voice hoarse. 

“I need you to remain calm, Jigen.” Zenigata’s voice. 

Jigen’s eyelids felt as though they had weights attached to them. He felt the vague sensation of a nurse pressing a mask on his face, hands attaching more patches to his chest, and the familiar sting of an IV needle being pushed into his arm. 

“S...Stop,” he groaned, voice muffled by the mask. He tried to lift an arm to push the nurses away from him, but the world faded to black once more.

* * *

He awoke with a gasp, the patches on his chest and the beeping sound gone, replaced with gunshots. His heart raced, his breath quickened. He tried to sit up, pulling the IV out from his arm, ripping the oxygen mask from his face, but two strong arms held him down. 

“You’re in no condition to fight, Jigen,” Zenigata said, his voice firm. 

“Shaddup, Pops,” he slurred. He hadn’t the strength to protest when Pops secured the mask back on his face. Blood leaked down his arm from when he’d torn the needle out. His vision blurred again. Bullets ricocheted into the room, yells and screams echoing in from outside. Zenigata’s eyes were wide, sweat beading on his forehead. 

“Change of plan. I’m going to get you to safety.” Pop’s voice was muffled to him now. He felt the sensation of being lifted out of the bed and the tug of the tube from the mask ripping from the oxygen tank.

He whimpered and tried to swat at Zenigata’s face.

“Stop with that,” was the last thing Jigen heard before losing consciousness once more.

* * *

Zenigata cradled Jigen against his chest, heat radiating from him. Jigen was panting, his breaths fluttering. He was wrapped up in the thin hospital blanket so only his head was poking out. His signature fedora was balanced on top of his stomach, his gun stuck in Zenigata’s back pocket. There was no time to collect anything else. Taking a deep breath, Zenigata sprinted out from the room, heart pounding as he ran down the corridor, bullets whizzing past his face. He hunched over a bit, trying to protect Jigen with his body. 

His lungs burned from the effort of sprinting and holding the dead weight of Jigen. Tears streamed from his eyes and he tried to think back to the directions Lupin had told him in case of an emergency, mentally berating himself when he couldn’t quite remember if Lupin had said right or left. 

_ Left down the hall and straight down the stairs. Once you're out go right on Main and left on Houston. If you see the pizzeria you’re too far. Look for the blue door on the side, okay?  _ It had been shouted at him in a rush over the sounds of yelling and banging. Zenigata saw stairs and started down them as quickly as he could without toppling forward from Jigen’s weight. He bursted out the door at the bottom and squinted at the harsh sunlight. His arms were too busy to tilt the hat down over his eyes. 

The streets were alive and busy, citizens out enjoying their weekend with dinner dates and shopping bags **.** Zenigata paused as multiple people stared at him before he remembered his task.  _ Right on Main. Left on Main? Left on Houston? Pizza? _ Zenigata picked a direction and ran, praying it was the correct way. Behind him he heard shouts to stop and a bullet whipped past his shoulder. The pedestrians around him screamed. Zenigata bent over Jigen and pressed forward, looking up now and then to check street names. He bumped into random bodies and huffed out shallow apologies as he veered around a corner.  _ Blue door, blue door! _ His eyes scanned the street around him, the loud sound of thudding footsteps close behind him.  _ Pizzeria? Shit, too far! _ Zenigata skidded to a halt and turned around. Coming towards him were four men, guns drawn and eyes angry. Zenigata dipped into an alleyway to his right and saw a worn down blue door, handle half broken. He slammed his elbow into the door handle and pushed the door open with his foot, kicking it shut behind him. 

Inside was a long hallway with multiple doors, each with its own number plaque. The doors all seemed old and one was halfway on its hinges, illuminated by two lightbulbs flickering overhead. Zenigata paused for a moment before examining the door with a rusted ‘3’ nailed onto it. Carved into the wood was a small, monkey-like face. Zenigata smiled and entered.

The apartment was bare and dusty, Zenigata noticed, and looked just as abandoned as the rest of the building. He carefully bent down and placed Jigen on the living room floor, then went to search for any kind of bedding and first aid. He only managed, in his short search, to find two more sheets and a dusty pillow before a groan caught his attention. He lifted Jigen’s head and slid the pillow underneath. Zenigata went into the kitchen and held his breath when he turned the knob on the sink. Water rushed out, and he gave a sigh of relief. In the kitchen were a handful of dried foods and an electric kettle. Zenigata set the kettle and soaked one of the sheets in cool water before returning to the living room and dabbing at Jigen’s forehead.

Jigen’s face tightened and another groan slipped from his lips. Tears welled up in Zenigata’s eyes and he swallowed thickly, a lump in his throat. Smoothing Jigen’s unkempt hair back, he draped the cloth across Jigen’s forehead, feeling as though his heart would break when the gunman whimpered. He reached for Jigen’s wrist to check for a pulse, frowning when he found it was racing. Jigen’s breathing rate was similarly rapid, his breaths quick, ragged pants. 

He sat back and pinched the bridge of his nose. If only he had more supplies to work with. If only Lupin were here… 

He shook those thoughts from his head. He couldn’t be thinking of “if only”s right now. He had to focus on the present. Why was he helping, anyway? Jigen was a criminal. He was a cop. Yet he was helping the guy escape prison. It made no sense. But a deal was a deal, and despite it all Zenigata knew he cared about these men. He wiped the tears from his face and focused on helping Jigen.

Zenigata heard the click of the kettle from the kitchen and got up and shuffled over to it. He poured the water into his instant cup noodles and stirred the food impatiently, willing it to cook faster. He returned to Jigen’s side, noodles in hand, and sat cross-legged next to him. Zenigata sat for what felt like a long time, staring at Jigen’s ill form in concern. A sudden knocking made him start.

“Hey, hey pops!” A whisper at the window caught Zenigata’s attention. “Pops open the window, I’m dying out here!”

Zenigata huffed and lifted himself up with a grunt. His old bones got worse with the weather, and the chase today had been especially hard carrying Jigen in his arms. He flipped the window latches and lifted the glass to allow Lupin through. Lupin gave a quick smile at him- although it seemed to be more of relief than of joy- and slid himself quietly into the apartment. His hair was tousled and his jacket had tears in multiple places. His left eye was showing early signs of bruising and, somewhere on his arm, a wound dripped blood.

“JESUS LUPIN, WHAT HAPPENED TO Y-”

“Shhhhhhh shush shush! It’s like you’ve never been on the run before pops, come on!” Lupin winced as he shrugged off his jacket and his undershirt. The wound was worse than Zenigata initially thought, and streams of blood dripped down Lupin’s arm and dropped to the floor. “Do me a favor will ya? Second door to the right, there’s a first aid kit in the cabinet.”

Zenigata grabbed the kit from the cabinet and all but pushed Lupin to the ground in front of him. He spent time cleaning and bandaging Lupin’s major wounds, then his minor ones for good measure.  _ Can’t go arresting a dead man now can I? _ He thought. Lupin winced now and again but for the most part seemed deep in thought. It was rare that Zenigata saw him this way.

“I’ve got a place set up for Jigen a few countries over. There’s three routes you can take to get him around checkpoints, and I'm gonna tell you  _ two _ . Okay? Two. Can’t go giving away all my secrets, now can I?” Lupin gave a half hearted smile and a wink before continuing. “Goemon will meet you there, and then I’ll uphold my end of the deal. Got it?”

Before Zenigata could answer, a groan sounded from behind him. Lupin shot up and rushed to Jigen’s side, holding his shoulders down before he could try and sit himself up.

“Lupin? Where…?” Jigen’s voice was hoarse and small. Zenigata felt as though he should look away for the sake of the man’s dignity. 

“Hey, bud. Shhh, just go back down, okay? Go back to sleep. You’re fine.”

Jigen didn’t protest for even a second before he was unconscious again under Lupin. The moment awake left him with a sweat along his brow and rougher breathing. His skin had gone even paler and Zenigata wondered for a moment if leaving the hospital was the right move. 

Lupin went over the route with Zenigata three times before slipping out the window again, leaving Zenigata and Jigen alone. Zenigata gazed over to Jigen, his heart aching at the sight of him, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. Jigen’s breaths were laboured, his hair slicked back with sweat. Seeing him in just the hospital gown and his boxers felt almost disrespectful to Zenigata and he found himself wrapping Jigen in the stolen hospital sheets again, mostly to comfort himself. With a sigh, he packed what little they had between them, lifted Jigen into his arms, and set out.

* * *

Jigen’s eyelids fluttered open. Sunlight was dappled across his face, shining in through a window. White curtains blew softly in the breeze and the faint sound of jazz music drifted into the room. He groaned, feeling as though he had the worst hangover of his life. There was an oxygen mask strapped over his mouth and nose, an IV hooked up to the back of his hand. “I’m still alive…” he murmured, voice muffled by the mask.

Goemon entered the room, carrying a bedpan. He stopped in his tracks, eyes widening when he caught sight of Jigen. He almost dropped the bedpan, fumbling around to grip it properly again. “You are conscious?” 

“Seems that way,” Jigen said, his voice weak. 

“Doctor Morricone did not expect you to awaken any time soon,” Goemon said as he placed the bedpan on the ground. He changed the saline bag on Jigen’s IV pole, placing the empty bag on the bedside table. On it lay a thermometer, some extra saline bags, a basin of water and a bottle  of painkillers. 

“How long was I out?” Jigen asked, wincing at the splitting pain in his head. 

“Five days. Maybe more. I cannot be certain.” He held out the bedpan. “I, uh… Need you to use this.” 

Jigen looked out of the window near his bed and watched as a bird pecked as its nest. He took a slow, deep breath and was relieved to find it no longer hurt. At least, not as much as before. 

“I’m not pissin’ in a pan.” 

Goemon frowned and opened his mouth when Jigen cut him off.

“Where the hell is Lupin?”

“Please just rest, Jigen.”

“Did that doc of yours tell you what the heck is wrong with me?” He struggled to sit up, the strain causing the room around him to sway. The damp cloth on his forehead fell into his lap.

Goemon gently pushed him back into the soft mattress, picking up the cloth and dunking it into the basin of cold water. “You must rest. Your fever still has not broken.”

“You’re not tellin’ me what happened, man.” 

“Rest. Get well quickly.” He draped the cloth back over Jigen’s forehead. 

Jigen huffed and lifted his arm up to pull his hat over his eyes. His hand grasped at air and he made an annoyed sound before resting his hands on his chest and closing his eyes and settling into the bed. If Goemon was going to be that way, he wasn’t going to waste his energy fighting him about it. Jigen willed himself back into sleep, for once embracing the darkness that swallowed him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm yeah neither of us died we just both have uni work. There's one more after this!

Moonlight filtered through the window, the night air cool. The curtains blew gently in the breeze and an owl hooted in the distance outside. Groaning, Jigen eased his eyes open. He took a deep breath, readying himself to have to fight Goemon for answers, but... Goemon was nowhere to be seen. The only sign of him ever being in the room was Jigen’s magnum now lying on the table. A comforting sight.

He furrowed his brow, thinking back on what might have happened. Though it was hazy, he could remember Zenigata’s worried face, bits and pieces of conversation, Lupin telling him to go back to sleep. Bright lights, white hallways, white sheets. The smell of instant noodles and cigarettes.

What the hell had happened?

“Hey, buddy.” Lupin stepped into the room, a plate of fruit in hand. “How’re you feeling?”

“Mm. Fine,” Jigen croaked. 

Lupin came towards the bed with a smile, but brows pulled down in concern. He looked over Jigen, at the instruments connected to his body, and Jigen noticed a wetness to his eyes.

“Are you hungry? Did you eat yet?” Lupin asked. His smile held firm, but his eyes were full of worry. 

“ ‘m not hungry,” Jigen mumbled. Talking made his throat ache.

Lupin sighed softly and sat on a chair next to Jigen’s bed. He tapped his foot for a moment before crossing his leg and sighing again.

“I heard you’ve been...uncooperative,” Lupin said with levity, which was casual for the thief, but Jigen knew from years of watching and listening to him ( _ maybe too much watching and listening to him to be considered healthy _ , he thought) that it was belying a level of concern. And a genuine one at that.

Jigen replied with a pained grunt and turned his head away. He couldn’t shake his mind from the aches in every muscle of his body, and the concerned look Lupin was giving him made something in his chest feel hollow.

“Look, I get it,” Lupin said. “You know how I get after a shot here or there. But at least when I’m coming back from the brink of death I  _ eat _ . So...open wide! Ahhhhh….” 

Lupin held out an orange slice to Jigen and, when Jigen rolled his eyes in response, decided that pressing it against his cheek would work best. 

“Open. Open your mouth Daisuke. Go ‘AH.’ Just one piece and I’ll leave you alone.”

Jigen sighed and didn’t move for a moment. Despite his effort to fight the coddling, though, he could feel the hints of a smile trying to force itself onto his face. Jigen opened his mouth half heartedly and allowed Lupin to feed him a piece of orange. Lupin gave a loud, enthusiastic holler of celebration when Jigen chewed and swallowed. He rubbed his thumb over the wet spot on Jigen’s cheek and cooed until his hand was halfheartedly swatted away. He laughed for a moment and relaxed back against the chair. 

“So are you gonna tell me what’s going on, or what?” Jigen said.

Lupin frowned and looked away from Jigen. He said nothing. After a moment, Jigen sighed.

“Fine, I’ll stop askin’ about it. But I’m not staying in this bed with all this-” Jigen wrestled with the wires attached to him for a moment. “With all this  _ crap _ holding me down.”

Ignoring Lupin’s yells of protest, he tore off each and every wire, forcing himself upright with a grunt. He was immediately hit with an intense dizziness, bile rising to his throat, but he choked it back down as discreetly as he could, straightening his back.

“No, no, no, no. No you don’t,” Lupin gently tried to push him back down, but Jigen sat up once more. 

“Lemme up, Lupin,” Jigen sighed as he sat up once more, only to be shoved back down.

Jigen caught the slight wince as Lupin pressed on his shoulders. Jigen forced his way up once more, keeping an eye on Lupin’s face, and the quiet gasp of pain was clear this time.

“Lupin, man...what happened to you?” Jigen let himself be pushed back down this time, more concerned for his friend than himself for a moment.

“Oh, you know me,” Lupin said with a forced smile. “Always getting into trouble, right?”

Lupin reached to smooth back Jigen’s hair from his forehead, and Jigen grabbed his wrist. Jigen pushed up Lupin’s sleeve to see his arm bandaged. Lupin winced again as he tried to pull away.

“Don’t lie to me. How bad is it?”

Lupin shrugged as he tried to gently remove his arm from Jigen’s grip. Despite how near to death’s door Jigen felt, he was able to keep his grip on Lupin’s arm. He twisted his hand slightly and Lupin let out a small yelp.

“Tell me.”

“Okay, okay! I give! I may have a couple broken bones, but the rest is all surface level.” Lupin let out another yell as Jigen tightened his grip more. “And! And!  _ One _ bullet wound. Just the one! I promise! Now will you let me go?”

Jigen released Lupin’s arm and scowled. How was it that Lupin was sitting there, body all busted up, and he was trying to take care of someone? It put a bad taste in Jigen’s mouth. 

“Here’s what’s gonna happen,” Jigen started. “I’m gonna sit up and get out of this bed.” Jigen held up a hand to prevent Lupin’s protests. “I  _ am _ . And then you’re gonna put your ass right here and rest. I’ll be fine on the chair, but you’re  _ not _ fine. So get your damn self over in this bed.”

With a defeated sigh, Lupin nodded and stepped out of the way as Jigen hauled himself out of the bed and lowered himself into the chair with a groan. 

“Get into bed,” he said between gasps for breath. The movement had taken more out of him than he’d imagined. “Don’t make me throw you into it.” 

Lupin reluctantly climbed onto the bed and shifted until he was comfortable. Jigen watched, and finally relaxed once he was sure Lupin wouldn’t hop out immediately. He closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the chair. Everything ached, and it was suddenly much more noticeable. The two men rested in silence for a moment.

“So,” Jigen said quietly, “are you gonna tell me what the hell is going on?”

“You said you’d stop asking,” Lupin replied, a smile apparent in his voice.

“Yeah, well.” He shrugged and instinctively reached into his pocket for his cigarettes, only to find he was in a gown with no pockets for his Marlboro’s. He settled on awkwardly crossing his arms, instead. 

Lupin sighed. “You came down with a fever really suddenly, man. It made no sense. One minute you were fine, the next you were red in the face and barely able to stand up straight. When it became clear that you were only getting worse by the second we had to take you to hospital.” 

“I-I remember seeing Zenigata...”

“Yeah. He figured he could nab you while you were out of it. But then  _ some _ people thought it was a good opportunity to try and kill you. Super rude of them, I know. But shit hit the fan and there was a huge shootout in the hospital, so I was forced to make a deal with Pops. He’d help you and I’d go to prison. Of course, I busted myself out of there as soon as I knew he’d done his part of the deal.”

“So that’s when you got hurt, huh.” 

Lupin sighed and gestured to his injuries. “This is nothing, man. You, on the other hand…” his voice softened. “It was looking real bad. Wasn’t sure if you were gonna pull through.”

Jigen was silent for a moment. It wasn’t his first scrape with death, but it shook him up. All the other time’s he’d been on death’s door it was because of a gunshot wound or a stab wound. The idea of dying to a fever was disturbing. If Jigen was gonna go, he was gonna be shot full of holes. 

Finally, he spoke again. “What was the, uh, diagnosis?” He hoped Lupin didn’t notice the tremble in his voice. 

“He hasn’t figured it out yet. You could’ve been poisoned, or it could’ve been a bad case of the flu.”

“Shit. Was it contagious?” 

“We don’t know. But, it’s been a week and I’m not showing any symptoms. I wouldn’t worry.” 

“Nah, you’ll bounce back from anything. Pops, though… He’s older…” 

The door swung open, Goemon’s Zori tapping against the tiled floor. His eyes widened momentarily when he saw Jigen out of bed, but his shock was quickly replaced with his usual stoicism. “You’re conscious,” he stated.

“Surprised you noticed,” Jigen said. 

Goemon said nothing, instead opting to hand him his packet of Marlboro’s and a lighter. “Do not let Doctor Morricone know you’ve been smoking.”

“Thanks, man,” Jigen said, grinning as he slid a cigarette from the packet. He flicked the lighter flame on and held it to the cancer stick, taking a drag and then exhaling the smoke with relief. Goemon erupted into a coughing fit. He stumbled back, coughing more and more violently, crashing into the wall behind him. Jigen shot to his feet, fighting back dizziness and nausea, and rushed to the samurai’s side.

“Oi, Goemon,” Jigen said through gritted teeth, trying to haul up Goemon’s dead weight. It was no use. The swordsman was radiating heat. He slumped to the ground, Jigen too weak to hold him and help break his fall. There was a crash as he knocked over a stack of equipment, flasks and needles and medicines smashing to the floor. “Shit,” Jigen hissed.

Lupin had leapt out of bed and was already running out of the room. “I’m getting the doctor,” he yelled from behind, “get him on the bed.”

“How the fuck am I meant to do that,” Jigen mumbled, trying to drag Goemon away from the mess, but falling unceremoniously onto his ass with the effort, black spots swarming his vision. He leaned back against the bed, breaths coming out in labored gasps, Goemon lying on the floor before him, surrounded with shattered glass and spilled pills.

Of all the people to get sick, Goemon was the one he least expected. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Editing Notes Highlights:  
> -"Me saying I will write a couple of paragraphs today but instead writing two sentences in passive voice because pro writer moment"  
> -" ALL I CAN THINK OF IS LUPIN MAKING FUCKIN AIRPLANE NOISES OKAY. THATS MY BRAIN RIGHT NOW."  
> -"HMMMMMMM. I need to pee"  
> "Fuckin hell. Go pee."  
> "I have peed."
> 
> Can you tell who said which lines? :3c


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:   
> Hey, did you know that chapter 3 is half of this entire story? No, really, it is. Also, did you know that Sick Days is the first multi-chapter story Sel has finished? No, really, it is.
> 
> Sorry this fic has taken so long. I’d like to say it’s because we are both in Uni, but also sometimes I just get lazy and write eleven pages of something completely different. This chapter gave us both some trouble for a while, but we were able to work hard and finish it! Thank you to Luke for messaging me every now and then to actually write consistently, and being so patient with my chaotic process. 
> 
> Hopefully you all enjoyed reading as much as we enjoyed writing. 
> 
> -Sel
> 
> A/N:  
> Mario vore
> 
> -Luke

Lupin sat in the makeshift hospital room, tapping his foot against the floor and resting his aching head into his hands. He had rushed back into the room with doctor  Morricone only to find his two companions crumpled to the floor on top of one another. The doctor had pulled together another bed and together they got both Jigen and Goemon hooked up with an IV, oxygen mask, and some fever reducers. 

That was four days ago.

It was today, finally, that Jigen woke up again with a quiet huff and a cough. Lupin bolted up out of the chair and leaned over his friend. Jigen’s eyes opened and it took him a moment to focus his gaze upon the thief. Lupin fidgeted his hands together, not wanting to touch Jigen and hurt him. 

“Jigen! Jigen, you awake bud?” Lupin said nervously. Jigen groaned in response.

“ ‘m either awake or in hell. You look like shit.”

Lupin let out a little laugh and sat back in the chair

Jigen eased himself up, hissing through his teeth. Eyes still bleary, he scanned the room, settling on a pile of pamphlets on the bedside table. He reached a weak arm over and grabbed a handful, reading the titles out loud. “‘KALE AND YOU’, ‘What are you putting in YOUR body?’, ‘GINGER ROOT’, ‘Immune-boosting SUPER foods!’, ‘The amazing world of JUICE CLEANSE’.” He scowled. “What the fuck is this?” 

“ _ That _ , Jigen dear, is all the research I did while you were sleeping.” 

Jigen’s scowl deepened. His gaze settled on the bed opposite his, where Goemon lay. The samurai’s face was screwed up in pain, his breaths coming out in harsh gasps, the cords in his neck visible. Zantetsuken was propped against the wall furthest from him.

“Yeah, and we thought  _ you  _ were bad with the struggling. He really didn’t want to rest,” Lupin said, trying to tease Jigen. His heart wasn’t in it, though, and he sighed with his head in his hands. “I really thought I was gonna lose the both of you…” 

“I don’t get it,” Jigen croaked. “He’s so fit. He never gets sick. Me, I dunno how I’m not dead with all the smokin’ I do.”

“About that....” Lupin started with a forced grin.

“No. No way. You’re outta your mind, man.” 

“C’mon Jigen! You were practically dead for  _ days _ . We had to keep you on oxygen so you didn’t just  _ suffocate _ -”

“I ain’t gonna quit, Lupin, and that’s that.”

“Fine. Suit yourself. Just don’t do it around Goemon,” Lupin huffed.

As if on cue, a small groan slipped through Goemon’s lips. Jigen looked over and saw his chest rising and falling rapidly, hoarse coughs forced out. Goemon took in a wheezing breath and started to sit up. Lupin lurched towards him, pressing his shoulders down and yelling for Doctor Morricone. 

The door swung open. A bespectacled, short man stepped into the room, his face impassive. “What, he’s freaking out again?” 

“What does it look like he’s doing? Gimme a hand here, man! He can’t breathe!” 

“Alright, alright. Sheesh.” The doctor limped over and pulled a syringe from his back pocket. With the other hand, he reached for the IV tube and injected the liquid into it. Within seconds, Goemon relaxed, eyelids drooping, head sinking into the pillow. He let out a whimper before passing out. The doctor placed a mask over his face and strapped it securely. With each breath, the mask fogged over. Jigen felt something inside him crack. 

The doctor stood back, shaking his head. “Jeez. I dunno why I agreed to help you kids. ‘Sides, you shouldn’t even be in here with them. You’ll end up gettin’ sick, same as them.” 

“I was doing  _ research _ . I was helping,” Lupin protested. The doctor only shook his head once more.

“You, you’re just a thief. I’m the doctor. Leave them to me and stop looking at that-” he waved his hands towards the pamphlets “-junk!” 

Lupin opened his mouth to protest, but the doctor spoke again before he could.

“I see the other one’s awake again. The smokin’ ain’t good for you, son. I can’t force you to stop, but could ya think about the doctors that have to treat you, at least? Do you realise what a pain it is trying to force air down a smoker’s lungs?” 

Jigen grumbled out a non-committal response and looked away. 

Each day since then, Lupin had been a pain in the ass. Jigen woke up to green smoothies and a thermometer, had lunch brought to him- “ _ Just eat the kale, Jigen! It won’t kill you!”-  _ and there wasn’t a single cigarette in the whole cabin. By the time he could get out of bed easily, he spent as much time as he could sitting outside to ‘get some good, fresh air.’ With each passing day, as Jigen felt stronger, Goemon looked weaker. His fever still hadn’t broken and they had to keep him sedated for a third of the day. Jigen preferred to stay outside, at least to leave the man with some dignity. Goemon had never looked weak since Jigen had met him, and it was hard to watch. Besides, there wasn’t much he could do to help anyway. 

Eventually, Jigen managed to get out of the place for more than an hour at a time. After days of juices and medicines and pestering from Lupin about yoga, he finally snapped and practically beat Lupin to get outside. It took more work than he had wanted, but finally he got to have some quiet.

Jigen stepped out of the cabin and squinted into the harsh sunlight . He made his way down the small dirt path leading to town, grumbling to himself. He had convinced Lupin to let him go to town to pick up groceries- and smokes, although Jigen kept that part to himself. The countryside was admittedly nice, lush green hills and fresh air during the days, with crisp evenings and skies dotted with stars. Despite the unusual heat today, Jigen was grateful for the chance to stretch his legs and get away from Lupin for a while. 

He pulled out a long strip of paper from his pocket.  _ A grocery list _ . The list was, in Jigen’s opinion, absurdly long, but agreeing to get every item on it was the only way Jigen could get some peace. It wasn’t a long walk to town, and within twenty minutes Jigen was scanning shelves for ginkgo, herbal teas, and multivitamins. He had just made it to the cashier when a familiar voice boomed through the shop.

“Well, I was wondering if you had any of them there  _ spicy  _ noodles...eheheh.”

Jigen pulled his hat down over his face and pulled out a card from his wallet. He paid quickly and grabbed the armful of bags before dashing out of the store. Halfway down the road, he stopped and groaned. A familiar itch was starting to form, and the realization that it was either face Zenigata or face Lupin made Jigen clench his jaw.  _ Zenigata, no question. _

Jigen had  _ hoped _ the inspector was gone by the time he got back to the shop. He  _ hoped _ it would be quick- in and out. His hopes were dashed when he walked in and saw, standing directly in front of him, Zenigata himself, arms full of paper bags. Zenigata froze and blinked quickly. “Jigen?”

“Shit.” 

Zenigata’s lips turned upward into a huge grin, and he almost dropped the paper bags. “JIGEN!” he screamed. “YOU’RE UNDER ARREST!” 

“Shuddap, Pops. You’re in the middle of a friggin’ store.”

It was no use. Zenigata dropped one armful of the bags and snatched up a pair of handcuffs, eyes gleaming. “Heheh.” 

“Pops,” Jigen hissed. “I really have to get back, you know. It’s important.” 

“Um, sir? You’re holding up the line,” the clerk said. Blushing, Zenigata scooped up his bags and slapped some money on the counter before turning back to Jigen. Zenigata leaned in and lowered his voice.

“How’re you feeling now? Better?”

Jigen nodded towards him as he placed a pack of marlboro’s on the counter. 

“Yeah, I’m doing lots better. Goemon ain't lookin’ so hot, though.” 

Zenigata frowned, his face etched with concern. “Take me to see him. Surely I can help?”

“Nah man, gotta scoot. Bye.” He shoved the cigarettes in his pocket and bolted.

“Wha- Oh, no you don’t! Get back here! You’re under arrest! Jigen!” Jigen barely heard the screams as he sprinted away.

***

Jigen leaned against the door of the safehouse, whole body shaking with each labored breath he took. He coughed several times, violent chesty coughs that had him near enough doubled over, his eyesight fuzzing around the edges. When his chest finally gave him a break, he took a few deep breaths, steadying himself before opening the door. 

“I’m back- Shit.” Jigen glared at the Inspector. He sat with Lupin at a wooden breakfast table, an apple between his hands. He was staring at it as though it had committed an atrocity. Lupin stared at Jigen, mouth agape. He had clearly been mid-sentence before Jigen had so rudely interrupted with his presence. 

“Care to tell me why he’s here?” Jigen nodded to Zenigata, dumping the groceries on the kitchen counter. 

“Well,  _ someone  _ told him Goemon got sick,” Lupin sighed. “He knows about the safehouse, Jigen. He was the one who brought you here.”

Zenigata slapped his hands together, as though praying. “Please… if there’s anything I can do to help…” 

“We’ve got a doctor,” Jigen said. “You’re just as useless as I am in this situation.” 

“Take me to him,” Zenigata said. 

Jigen and Zenigata followed behind Lupin to where they were treating Goemon. Surprisingly, he was awake. He had been asleep for most of each day since Jigen woke up. Zenigata hung back in the doorway as Lupin moved to Goemon’s side. Jigen leaned against the wall.

“So, Pops,” Jigen started. “Did I look that bad?”

“Well, you didn’t look  _ good _ but...no. You said you’ve got a doctor here? What’s the diagnosis?”

Jigen huffed and pulled his hat down.  _ If we knew, maybe we could help him more _ . Jigen opted to say nothing and watch as Lupin fluttered around Goemon. Lupin was helping him sip water, holding the cup up for him with one hand and leaning him up with the other. Jigen looked down at his boots.

“...Maybe we should go back to the other room, eh?” Zenigata whispered. Jigen grunted and followed behind him. 

They sat at the table in silence, neither daring to say what they were thinking. Zenigata tapped his fingers against the wood and fidgeted with his clothes until Jigen made a point of loudly sighing.

“He’s not gonna die.”

“I know. He can’t die before you all do your time.”

More silence. More fidgeting. 

“Hey, Jigen-”

“God,  _ what _ ?”

“...I’m just glad yer okay, is all.”

Jigen turned his head and looked out the small window. Outside, a tree swayed in a gentle breeze. Leaves fluttered down. Zenigata stood up and looked through the paper bags Jigen had brought in earlier, putting groceries away randomly. Some words caught in Jigen’s throat, words he didn’t understand but wanted to say anyway. 

“What is all this, anyway? Some fancy criminal food?”

It was a joke, and Jigen gave a hollow laugh.

“Nah, it’s Lupin’s crap. He’s going on and on about kale and stuff. Figured he’s feeling just about as useless as I do lately.”

Zenigata sniffed at a tin of tea leaves before making a face and pulling away. At this, Jigen gave a real laugh. 

“Yeah, you should try drinking the stuff. Tastes like crap.”

Jigen sat and stared at the trees while Zenigata made himself busy. He really had been useless lately. He couldn’t help Goemon get better. He couldn’t help Lupin calm down. He couldn’t even help himself, he realized, as he felt the urge to light up a smoke. He was worse than useless, Jigen thought. He had been a burden on everyone, he had gotten Goemon sick, he had gotten Lupin  _ hurt _ and now he was sitting around with a cop doing nothing. 

“I just wish I could do more…” Zenigata’s voice pulled Jigen from his thoughts.

“What, taking care of me wasn’t enough for you?”

“Jigen, I… couldn’t do anything. I just did whatever Lupin said to do. Went where he told me to go. And now it’s still just him in there.”

Jigen took a big, shaky breath in and stretched his arms out.

“Guess we’re just a couple of useless guys, huh? Can’t do anything on our own.”

Footsteps echoed from down the hall and Lupin appeared in the kitchen. He let himself fall into a seat with a wince. He gave a weak smile towards the others.

“Hey Pops, can you put some tea on?”

Zenigata jumped at the opportunity and set the kettle. Jigen, once again, realized his uselessness. 

“How’s he doin’?”

“He’s asleep again. But he drank water, and it looks like his fever is down a good amount. We just have to...wait.”

Just wait, like Jigen had been doing for days as Lupin read pamphlets and sat with Goemon and talked with the doctor. Just  _ wait _ . Just do nothing. Just let his friend suffer and hope it all goes away. 

“He’ll be fine,” Zenigata said over his shoulder, voice unconvincing. “Goemon’s as tough as they come.” 

Lupin gave a small grunt in reply and rested his head on the table. The three men said nothing as Zenigata made tea. Something heavy hung in the air and Jigen focused on taking a deep breath without coughing. Coughing would just worry Lupin more. Zenigata brought a cup of tea and set it in front of Lupin. As he turned back, Lupin’s hand reached out and grabbed a sleeve. He muttered something into his arm.

“Eh? What was that? You want sugar or something?”

Lupin lifted his head slightly.

“ _ Thank you _ , Pops. For helping me.”

Jigen clenched his teeth. The air became thicker and something in his chest tightened. He wanted to say it too-  _ thank you for saving me, for not tossing me in jail, for crossing borders to get me a doctor, for everything I remember and everything I don’t _ \- but instead he said nothing. Instead he watched quietly as Lupin’s shoulders started to shake and small sniffles filled the kitchen. Instead, he looked at Zenigata and locked eyes. They had the same look of helplessness and guilt that Jigen felt in himself. But they weren’t the same. Zenigata had done something. He had  _ helped _ . 

Jigen stood up from his seat and left the room, ignoring Pops as he called after him. He marched into Doctor Morricone’s room, not even knocking first, and slammed his hands down on the asshole’s desk. “Surely,” he began, “surely there’s  _ something _ you can do for him? He can’t just keep rotting away in that damn bed!” 

Morricone didn’t even glance up at Jigen. His attention was fixed on the sheets of paper below him that he was scribbling away on. A lot of long words and diagrams that Jigen didn’t exactly understand. He could make out a picture of some lungs, though. Something about pneumonia. He frowned at this, tearing his packet of Marlboro’s from his pocket and shoving one between his lips. “Fucking pneumonia.”

“Will you shut up?” Morricone snapped, slamming his pen down. “I have treated toddlers that are more mature than you. Toddlers!” 

Jigen took a deep breath, fishing around in his pocket for a lighter. “Then tell me what-” 

“If you have to smoke, do it outside.” Morricone turned his chair to face Jigen. He softened his voice. “And think of your friend. That guy is reading through hundreds of pamphlets on goddamn kale to try and help that friend of yours. He’s worried sick. The least you could do for him is avoid smoking for a while.” 

With a sigh, Jigen pushed the bent cigarette back into the box. “He has pneumonia?” he asked.

“There are similar symptoms. Antibiotics aren’t seeming to help, though. He’ll either get better or...” 

“Is there anything I can do?” 

“Rest. You’re still technically recovering. Don’t exert yourself.” 

And with that, Morricone turned back to his desk. Jigen knew better than to ask any further questions.

When he returned to the kitchen, Zenigata was sitting there alone, nursing a cup of tea. Jigen sat down opposite, making himself his own cup despite not being a huge fan of the stuff. 

“Lupin went back to Goemon,” Zenigata announced.

Jigen grunted, sipping at his tea. He was itching for a cigarette, clenching and unclenching a fist underneath the table. It was an old habit of his, one that returned only when he was gasping for a smoke. Did it help? Well… not really. He did it anyway. 

“Pneumonia.” 

“Is that what the doctor says it is?” Zenigata asked. 

“He thinks so. But it ain’t goin’ away,” he said. 

“I wish there was something I could do to help…” Zenigata said for what had to be the one thousandth time. 

“Look, man. We  _ all  _ wish we could help. But can we? No. No we fucking can’t. So instead of constantly saying ‘oh, gosh, I wish I could help’ maybe you should-” He stopped himself when he saw the look on Zenigata’s face. His eyes large and tearful, his mouth clamped shut into a tight line, his brow knitted. It broke Jigen’s heart.

“Look, I… I’m… I’m sorry.” 

Zenigata wiped his eyes in his sleeve. “You’ve had a difficult past few weeks,” Zenigata said. “It’s only natural you’d need to take out your anger.” It was not said in a way that antagonised Jigen, and somehow that made it worse. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart. 

“I… feel useless, man. You saying you feel useless pisses me off because you  _ saved my life.  _ I just spent the entire time laying around. I’m meant to be Lupin’s right hand man. I’m meant to protect him, but all I did was get in the way and because of that he got hurt.” He clenched his teeth and pulled his hat further down over his eyes. If Zenigata had spotted the tears in his eyes, he didn’t say anything. 

“He got hurt,” Zenigata said slowly. “Because he escaped  _ prison _ , Jigen. Like he always does. That wasn’t your fault.”

“But if I had  _ been there _ -”

“What: If you had been there then what? You don’t know. Nobody knows. All any of us know is what’s right in front of us.”

They sat there in silence after that, both holding cups of tea with no intention of drinking it. Zenigata cleared his throat after some time.

“Maybe you should talk to Lupin about this. It’s him who needs to hear it, not me.” 

Sighing, Jigen stood up. “Alright,” he said, knowing that this conversation was long overdue.

He peered through the door of Goemon’s room, watching Lupin still glued to his seat next to the bed. His heart lurched when he saw Goemon, but he forced himself to push that feeling down and cleared his throat loudly.

“Uh. Hey, Lupin,” Jigen mumbled.

Lupin looked up at him with red eyes and a small smile. His look was just a brief glance before he turned back to Goemon, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. Jigen took in a shaky breath.

“There’s this movie on in an hour.”

“Oh? How nice…” Lupin said absently.

“Watch it with me?”

“Ah, maybe later Jigen. I want to be here if he wakes up. I think his fever’s broken.”

Jigen walked towards Goemon, stopping behind Lupin. He looked down at his friend. Goemon was still asleep, still pale, but his breathing  _ did _ look more steady than before. Jigen felt his shoulders relax a small amount and opened his mouth to speak. His words caught in his throat as he looked down at Lupin, hunched over Goemon, head hanging. Jigen squeezed his hands tight. _ God _ he wanted a smoke. 

“Lupin.”

A small hum of a response. A pause. Lupin lifted his head.

“What’s up, Jigen?”

Jigen took another breath to steady himself. Why couldn’t he just say it? What was so difficult about it? Lupin had turned in his seat now, looking properly at Jigen, waiting.  _ Just say it _ .

“Uh. Thanks. For, you know, helpin’ me out.”

Lupin gave a real smile this time, a huge grin that took some of the exhaustion out of his features. His eyes were still puffy and his hair was a wreck, but some of Lupin’s spirit shone out. Jigen felt his nose tingle and he sniffed.

“And, uh,” Jigen started. He didn’t want to look at Lupin’s face for this part. If he looked, he wouldn’t say it. He pulled his hat down low. “And, uh. You know. Yeah.”

“Jigen,” Lupin said softly, still smiling. “I have no idea what you’re trying to say. Care you use complete sentences?” 

“I’m, ya know, I’m sorry, for bein’, you know?”

“No? Sorry for what? Did you do something?”

“No!” Jigen felt it now, the words pulling themselves out of his chest. He looked down at his boots and pretended his face wasn’t suddenly wet. “No. I didn’t do anything.”

“Then why are you sorry?”

“ _ Because I didn’t do anything.  _ Because I did  _ nothing _ . I couldn’t help you. I can’t help Goemon. All I did was make you worry and cause trouble and get him sick, and now he’s been like that for so long and he’s got friggin  _ pneumonia _ and-”

Jigen heard the chair scrape against the floor and the rustle of clothes. Two firm hands pressed onto his shoulders.

“Oi, Jigen. Will you look at me?”

“No.”

“What if I say please?” The sound of a cheeky smile was clear in his voice. Jigen knew Lupin’s eyes wouldn’t reflect it.

“...Nah.”

“Ok, then…”

Jigen was suddenly no longer looking at his boots. Instead, Lupin was squatting down, leaning to look at Jigen from below, obnoxious face winking.

“There, now I’ve seen you crying, so you might as well come back up with me!”

Jigen couldn’t help the huff of a chuckle that broke out of him. Lupin was a lot of things- overbearing, annoying, loud- but he always looked out for his friends. Jigen figured fighting him right now would be a losing battle, and he lifted his head. Lupin popped up and placed his hands on Jigen’s shoulders again.

“You don’t have to be sorry for getting sick, Jigen. We don’t exactly live a healthy lifestyle.”

“But you got hurt-”

“I got hurt because some asshole shot me! And it wasn’t even you this time!”

“But if I was there-”

“Then we both would’ve been screwed! See, nothing to be sorry about. In fact! I knew ol’ pops would make sure you were safe, so I got a bit reckless on my own. Just for fun.” Lupin gave a wink and a giggle. Jigen let the smile spread on his face, tears still quietly falling, as he playfully punched Lupin’s stomach.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?”

“Hey, hey! Real piece of work that makes you healthy smoothies!”

“And they’re  _ terrible _ -”

“Hey!”

“- _ really really  _ bad, seriously-”

“They’re immune boosting!”

Despite the tears streaming down his face, Jigen began to chuckle. Lupin giggled himself, which made Jigen laugh even harder, until he was almost howling, his laughter mixing with sobs. Lupin wrapped an arm around him and the two of them were almost doubled over with laughter. 

Eventually, it died down to giggles and Jigen tried to wipe the tears from his eyes, only for them to continue rolling down his cheeks.

“I just. Man, I was so useless. This whole time. I’ve just been causing problems for you and Pops. So. Thank you for looking out for me, and for Goemon, and putting so much into keeping us safe.” 

Lupin pulled Jigen into a hug then, a full one, a tight one, and gave a small pat onto Jigen’s back. Beside them, they noticed movement.

“I would prefer silence when I sleep,” Goemon rasped out. He pulled himself up to sit and look at his two friends. “Although...it seems to be a unique occasion.” 

Lupin released Jigen and moved to Goemon’s side, resting his arms gently over him. His concerned look lightened when he saw Goemon’s even breathing and ability to sit on his own. 

“Hey bud, how’re you feeling?”

“Not dead. But I would like to sleep more, if you don’t mind.”

Lupin chuckled and stood up, then grabbed Jigen’s arm and headed for the door. As subtly as he could, Jigen wiped his face dry. When they passed through the kitchen, Lupin waved to Zenigata to follow, and the three found their way to the living room for two hours of old western films and popcorn. 

\---

It was only a few days later, when Jigen was half-asleep on the couch, that the doctor gave them the news. Goemon had been sitting outside, finally able to move on his own and desperate for fresh air, and Lupin was in the kitchen concocting some foul super-mega-health food. The doctor had herded them all into the living room, waking Jigen, and told them that he had his test results back for Goemon.

“Well, it doesn’t look good,” he started. Lupin noticeably stiffened before the doctor continued. “But he will, with enough rest, make a full recovery. And I mean  _ rest _ , boy. At least a full month! None of those crazy plans of yours!” 

Lupin relaxed, letting out air he had been holding. “How about hot springs?” 

The doctor nodded his approval and slinked back into his study. “Anything that isn’t lifting weights or training like a mad man.” 

“Hot springs sound… adequate,” Goemon said. 

And with that, it was decided. The three of them - and Zenigata - led Goemon to the nearby hot springs, making sure that he took plenty of breaks during the walk there. Lupin forced Goemon to choke down his kale “immune boosting” drinks a few times, but Goemon didn’t complain. The four of them sunk into the water and for the first time in weeks, Jigen noticed Lupin was visibly relaxed. No more bags under his eyes. No more pale skin. He thought that if Goemon hadn’t gotten better, Lupin would have been next, the stress wearing down on his immune system.

Goemon himself looked serene, leaning back with his eyes closed, a towel balanced over his head. Jigen felt every muscle in his body release the tension they’d been holding since he woke up that first day. Finally, they were all going to move on from this. Goemon was going to recover, Jigen was on the way to recovery, Lupin had chilled the fuck out, and even Zenigata was able to get a well-needed rest. 

Although he wouldn’t say it, his heart brimmed with love for each and every man there. He knew they’d be back at it soon enough- wild heists, running from Pops, and someone would get hurt again. Despite the hell they had been through, though, and the chaos he knew would follow them, Jigen embraced the moment to finally take some quiet time and enjoy the company of his family. It was the least he could do. 

**Author's Note:**

> Choice editing notes between Sel and RoronoaSanji: 
> 
> -'ZenIGATA GO ERRRRRRRT'  
> -'okay it is 1:23am and I am writing this while listening to evanescence shittyflute so who knows how this will turn out but here goes.'  
> -'AIYAYAYAYAI WAAAM WAAAM WAAAAM. AIAYAYYAYAYAIII WAM WAARM WAAAAMA!'


End file.
